December 22, 2012 – VANUATU – A strong 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of the South Pacific island of Vanuatu on Saturday, December 22, the US Geological Survey said. But no immediate tsunami warning was issued. The quake struck at a depth of more than 200 kilometers at around 9:30am (2230 GMT Friday) some 130 kilometers north of Santo, USGS said. “It’s quite deep … so there’s no tsunami,” said David Jepsen, a seismologist with Geoscience Australia which measured the quake at 6.6 magnitude. I think it’s well away from (the capital) Port Vila… but it’s closer to some of the islands further to the northwest, but they would have had some moderate shaking really,” he told AFP. The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said a destructive tsunami was not generated, based on the earthquake and historical tsunami data. Vanuatu lies on the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire,” a zone of frequent seismic activity caused by friction between shifting tectonic plates. It has been rocked by several large quakes in recent years, averaging about three magnitude 7.0 or above incidents every year without any major damage. – Rappler

6 Responses to Strong 6.8 magnitude earthquake strikes off Vanuatu

Sure seems like the South Pacific is coming alive more than any other area of the “Ring of Fire”. I wonder what is in store for other areas of the Ring of Fire that have been less active, could pent up stress release and cause some major damage in areas that have not been as active as the South Pacific ?

I thought it looked like a volcanic cone near by and I read ‘ Vanuatu volcanoes are still quite active and vocal today, with occasional outbursts ever changing the face of the Vanuatu map. While other Pacific islands are sinking, Vanuatu is rising with the earthquakes and volcanic activity.’ Any relationship between this quake and previous ones and volcanic activity?

Hi Alvin……Dennis E. Here: Hope you are fine………
uh, speculations on 2013 earth change issues? Yes we have discussed that but I sort of thought you might give the TEP Family and friends your thoughts on present indicators and developments……..I noticed that you have been posting seismic alert watches and I was curious and perhaps others that something is brewing………

We are seeing more signs of turbulence from a planet already reeling under the weight of drastic Earthchanges. These effects will intensify over the coming months and years. The magma under the Earth is agitated and seismicity, in many places, is becoming chronic; rumbling almost daily now from tremors. California is riddled daily by swarms of tremors, which erupt along her myriad fault lines. All these events are testament that the planet is growing increasingly more restless. Up to now, volcanoes have erupted en masse but they have relatively been a non-issue, as for as affecting the planet entirely. That will change. As the spectrum of change progresses, we will see scale 6 and even 7 volcanic eruptions which could come from Alaska, Kamchatka, Japan, Chile, the Philippines, or most worrying, Indonesia which has a history of unleashing some of the most dangerous eruptions on the planet- Tambora to name just one. Tectonic plate agitation is also increasing the risks of magma plume activation under super-volcanic hotspots. The world will be completely unprepared for the severity of these violent eruptions, and will be even more bewildered by the change to the planet many of these events are destined to usher in. We should also be prepared for large-scale earthquakes hitting major population centers. Many of these will happen in clusters.